Morphological evidence for bipedalism in the Late Triassic prolacertiform reptileLangobardisaurus

Abstract

Analysis of a newly discovered specimen of the Late Triassic prolacertiform reptileLangobardisaurus, along with further analyses of the postcranial skeletons of previously described specimens, suggests that a bipedal configuration without a parasagittal gait was possible during rapid locomotion, as previously suggested for the related genus,Macrocnemus, and also while standing and walking. Morphological evidence and size-related criteria are consistent with a facultative digitigrade configuration while standing erect. The elongation of the neck, a hallmark of the prolacertiforms, may have assisted these efforts, as inChlamydosaurus, an extant facultatively bipedal lizard with a convergent morphology. This hypothesis should yield new insights into the mode of life ofLangobardisaurus and other prolacertiform sister taxa.

Evans, S. E. (1988): The early history and the relationships of the Diapsida. — InBenton, M. J. [ed]: The Phylogeny and Classification of the Tetrapods,1: 221–260. Clarendon Press., Oxford.Google Scholar